-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Andriy Shevchenko has returned to pro sports .

But not in football -- and not to the standard of success he has been used to .

The former European player of the year is competing in his first professional golf tournament as part of the Kharkov Superior Cup in his native Ukraine , but struggled to a 12-over-par 84 in Thursday 's opening round .

`` It 's a completely different game when you are under pressure , but I really enjoyed it still and so happy to be at this tournament , even if my scoring did n't go so good . It 's a great experience for me , '' Shevchenko told the European Tour website .

His playing partner , Frenchman Victor Riu , was the first-round leader in the second-tier Challenge Tour event after a sharply contrasting course-record 64 .

`` I am not a big fan of football so I did n't really know much about Andriy but it was great to play with him . There were a lot of people watching , '' the 28-year-old said .

`` He was great . Every time I holed a putt he shook my hand or gave me a high five . He was really pushing me on to play better and cheering me when I made birdies so that was a really big help for me .

`` I did put it up on Facebook that I was playing with him and it got a lot of responses , so I knew it was a big deal !

Shevchenko , who enjoyed most of his success with Italian club AC Milan , retired from football a year ago after Ukraine co-hosted the European Championships and has since dabbled in politics .

He entered this tournament as one of several amateurs in the 130-strong field , having initially taken up golf to help ease the pressure of playing elite football .

`` I come on to a golf course and turn off my phone and just walk the course and hit some balls . It 's one of the reasons why I started to play , '' he said Wednesday .

`` I just found this great game where you have to be focused and balanced and that 's why I like it . I like that mental balance . ''

Shevchenko did manage one birdie , but he carded a double bogey and dropped shots at 11 other holes at the Superior Golf and Spa Resort course , which is part of a luxury seven-star facility .

`` To play with Victor and see him shoot a course record and play fantastic golf , I learned so much about the game from the two guys , '' he said .

Shevchenko is n't the only athlete to try his hand at pro golf following a successful career in another sport .

Former tennis No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov became Russia 's national champion in 2011 -- he is also in the field this weekend in Ukraine -- and eight-time grand slam tennis winner Ivan Lendl contested the Czech Open back in 1996 .

After Lendl struck an 11-over-par 82 in the first round , he was quoted as saying by the Chicago Tribune that it was `` five times worse than playing in a Wimbledon final . ''

Although similarly unlikely to make the halfway cut , and therefore miss out on the weekend action , Shevchenko is nonetheless proud to be participating in his country 's first major golf tournament .

`` It 's the first event for me and also in Ukraine so it 's big for golf here , '' he said . `` I love golf and I 'm so happy that golf is starting to pick up in Ukraine and the people are starting to invest money long term . ''

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Andriy Shevchenko makes his professional golf debut in his native Ukraine

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The 36-year-old cards 84 but his playing partner leads after shooting 64

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Shevchenko retired from football after last year 's European Championships

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The Kharkov Superior Cup is the first major professional golf event to be held in Ukraine